The Iranian Mystery Man

Daniel Dana’s office in Jerusalem has the feel of a museum – with hundreds of photographs and news clippings lining the walls, chronicling his 35 years of activism against the fanatical Islamic regime in Iran.

But that’s only part of the story. The twists and turns of Dr. Dana’s life – from practicing Muslim, to champion athlete, to military sharpshooter, to international fugitive, to Christian priest – rivals the plot of any best-selling novel.

But the most shocking twist of all was Dana’s more recent discovery of his Jewish roots.

Budding Ayatollah

Daniel Dana was born and raised as a Muslim Shiite named Jamshed Hassani. His family lived in the Sarhad district in northeast Iran. At school he would spend long hours becoming fluent in the Koran.

“Although my parents were generally pro-western and Iranian nationalist, I was more radical than the other kids,” Dana told Aish.com. “This is because my grandmother – my mother's mother – was an expert in the Koran and scrupulous in her observance of Shiite tradition. She was determined that I grow up to become an Ayatollah, a top-ranking clergy in Shiite Islam.”

Dana’s grandmother pushed him to undergo rigorous Islamic training, sitting with him for hours and correcting his reading of the Koran.

When Dana was 15, his grandmother died and her influence on him waned. At the same time he began studying Iranian history in high school. “I had questions and doubts about Islam,” he says. “The more I looked, the more I saw a contradiction between Shiite ideology and Iranian nationalism.”

“I was convinced that Khomeini’s regime would eventually destroy Iran. I had to stop them.”

Dana got into sports and became a champion boxer and gymnast. Through his athletic achievements, he became friendly with the Shah’s wife, the Queen of Iran, Farah Pahlavi. After his graduation from law school at Tehran University, the Queen advised Dana to go to Paris, earn his PhD, and come back to be her legal advisor in the royal court.

Dana got married, had a few kids, and at age 30 went to France. But his plans to work for the Queen never materialized.

It was 1978 and Iran was on the verge of a geo-political earthquake: the Islamic revolution. Ayatollah Khomeini had spent the previous 15 years in exile trying to overthrow the Shah, and he was now brought to Paris to consolidate political support and stage his revolution.

“At this point people didn't know much about Khomeini, other than his promise to ‘reform’ Iran from the Shah's policies,” says Dana. “Journalists, diplomats, everyone was fawning over Khomeini. He had the support of many Iranians, as well as European leaders. But I knew he would be a tragedy for Iran.”

Dana became an early, outspoken critic of Khomeini. On the first day that Khomeini arrived in France, Dana and 15 other Iranian graduate students went to see the Ayatollah in Neauphle-le-Château, outside of Paris. All the other students – including Dana’s wife who was in Paris studying for her Masters Degree in psychology – showered praise on Khomeini.

Dana, however, knew from his Shiite upbringing precisely what damage a fanatical Khomeini regime would do to the country. So at the meeting, he stood up and declared: "You are going to ruin our country. You will destroy our beloved history and culture. You are deceiving the Iranian people and the world. Evil liar!"

After a short detention, Dana was released. But within months, Khomeini had arrived triumphantly in Iran to lead the Islamic revolution, welcomed by a joyous crowd of 5 million people.

“I was convinced that Khomeini’s regime would eventually destroy Iran. I had to stop them.”

Dana had spent 10 years in the Iranian army and police force, and was awarded medals for being the top sharpshooter. So he formulated a plot to assassinate Khomeini.

The Shah and his family had fled to Morocco, so Dana traveled there to share his plan with the Queen. “I told her that I was willing to go to Tehran and make my ideological contribution to saving the nation of Iran. I would put a bullet into Khomeini’s forehead – and stop the Islamic revolution at its inception.”

But the Queen discouraged Dana from doing so. So he moved on to plan-B.

Three Death Sentences

Dana returned to Paris where he joined other Iranian students in establishing Javan ("young"), the first paramilitary group opposing the Khomeini regime. They performed various secret operations – including the daring capture of an Iranian missile gunship.

Prior to the revolution, Iran had purchased dozens of warships from France, but not all had been delivered. So in 1981 Khomeini sent naval officers to bring the remaining ships to Iran.

It was the first time that a Western nation had agreed to transfer advanced weaponry to the Khomeini, and Dana’s group was determined to stop it. Working with the former chief of staff of the Iranian army, they developed a detailed plan to capture the warships en route back to Iran, then utilize pockets of resistance throughout Iran to launch a full-scale overthrow of the Islamic regime.

Disguised in Spanish police uniforms, Dana’s group successfully pulled off the raid in international waters – capturing one of the warships and holding the 31 Iranian naval personnel captive. But the larger-scale plan went awry: The activists manning the coordination center in Spain were arrested, and in the resulting communications breakdown the entire operation collapsed.

“At that point we had no choice but to go back to France, where French President François Mitterrand convinced us that our best move would be to release the boat and accept political asylum in France.”

Dana’s life had hit a dead-end. Though he had a PhD in international law from the University of Paris, he could not find work in France because he had been arrested multiple times by the French police for opposing the Iranian Islamic regime. In addition, his wife was a strong supporter of Khomeini, so his marriage was over and he became estranged from his two children.

On top of it all, Dana’s anti-Khomeini activities had earned him three separate death sentences by an Iranian Islamic tribunal.

Daniel Dana was a man without a country, a soldier without an army.

In March 1986, Dana went to the Iranian Embassy in Paris and told them that he wanted to be executed.

He recalls: “I was depressed and wanted to commit suicide. But being a tough guy, I didn't want to simply jump off a bridge or overdose on pills. I came up with at a novel approach: Since the Iranian Islamic tribunal had already pronounced three death sentences against me, I decided to go back to Iran, present myself to the authorities, and have them execute me. This way I could die on my beloved Iranian soil, while making a strong political statement at the same time.”

And so he did. In March 1986, Dana went to the Iranian Embassy in Paris and told them that he wanted to be executed. “They thought I was joking, but I was serious.”

The Iranian intelligence services interrogated him for endless hours, and eventually allowed him to travel to Iran. But there his plan was thwarted. “The Iranian authorities realized that executing me would be bad PR for the regime. So they decided instead to use me for propaganda purposes. They would pardon me and allow me to work as a lawyer in Iran – then hold me up as a symbol of the regime’s commitment to freedom and human rights.”

Dana became a practicing attorney and a Professor of Law at Azad University in Tehran. But in typically Dana style, life did not proceed quietly. Through his legal research, he discovered that high-ranking government officials had embezzled $370 million.

He took the information directly to the Iranian Minister of Justice – who promptly offered him a bribe to keep quiet.

“That has never been my style, so the next day I went public with the scandal. A week later I was in London for a conference, and received word from my law office: ‘Don't come back to Iran. It is too dangerous for you’."

Thus, in 1990, Dana became exiled a second time from Iran.

He traveled to Mumbai where he had some legal clients, and from there he settled in Australia where he had friends and was granted political asylum. He became involved in Christianity and studied theology for three years at the University of Melbourne, eventually ordained as an Anglican priest.

But Dana never let go of his activism against the Khomeini regime. During this time Salman Rushdie had written The Satanic Verses, a novel critical of Islam that became an international scandal when the Ayatollah sentenced him to death. Anyone associated with the book became a target of attack: The book’s Japanese translator was brutally stabbed to death, the Italian translator was seriously stabbed, and the publisher in Norway was shot three times in an attempted assassination.

“I am an idealist and this type of intimidation only increased my motivation,” he says. Dana translated the book from English into Persian – and was promptly censured by the Australian government for “inciting hatred” among the 300,000 Muslims living in Australia and the tens of millions more in nearby Indonesia and Malaysia.

Coming Home

In 1994, Dana was granted a research fellowship for two months at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. While in Israel, the Australian government used the opportunity to cancel his “asylum status,” citing him as a security risk for provoking Islamic hatred.

This put Dana in real geo-political limbo – he could not travel to Iran, France, Australia or any other country for that matter. He had no choice but to remain in Israel.

In Israel he was introduced to Jews and Judaism for the first time. As he learned more, he rejected Christianity and came to conclusion that Torah is authentic. He soon met a Russian immigrant to Israel and got married.

Around this time Dana was diagnosed with a rare blood disease that is found predominantly in Middle Eastern Jews. “I started to think about the idea of Jewish blood in my veins,” he says.

Little did he know. In 2007 he traveled to the U.S. for a relative’s wedding. Also in attendance was his cousin, Dr. Miriam Dnada, the daughter of his uncle Musa, his mother's brother.

”Our real family name is Abayef, and we are Jews."

Miriam told Dana how, when her father [Dana’s uncle Musa] had died a few years earlier, he revealed in his final hours:

"When my own father [Dana’s grandfather] was on his deathbed, he told me a family secret: That we are really Jews,” Musa told Miriam. “And now, I am passing that secret along to you. Our real family name is Abayef, and we are Jews."

Upon hearing the shocking news, Dana suddenly understood why his grandmother always insisted on not eating meat with milk. And thus began his quest to unravel the mystery of his family history.

Two centuries ago, Dana’s ancestors lived in Mashad, in the northeast corner of Iran. It is a Muslim stronghold, attracting 20 million Muslim pilgrims every year, who come to worship at the shrine of the Imam Reza. In 1839 a terrible pogrom called for the forced conversion of Jews to Islam. Many lived dual lives as crypto-Jews, but Dana’s ancestors fled to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union, where they were able to practice Judaism openly.

Fast-forward to 1925, when the Reza Shah (the father of the noted Shah of Iran) rose to power and instituted freedom of religion in Iran.

“My grandparents were unhappy with the recent Communist takeover, so in 1927 they moved back across the border into northwest Iran,” says Dana. “But they feared another pogrom and made a conscious decision to keep their Jewishness a secret. So they changed their last name and pretended to be Shiite Muslims.”

At the time, Dana’s mother was age 3 and had no inkling of the family’s Jewish roots. But her brother Musa was 8, and the family secret was entrusted to him – only to be revealed decades later, on his deathbed, to his daughter Miriam.

“Now I understand why my grandmother pushed me so much to become an Ayatollah,” says Dana. “She bent over backwards and made every effort to prove herself as a good Muslim, to drive out our Jewish roots.”

Final Chapter

Now approaching age 70, Dr. Dana has no thoughts of slowing down. He continues to work as a political activist, helping to organize various plans to bring about regime change in Iran.

He is also a prolific author, having written dozens of books and scholarly papers. One book, an autobiographical novel entitled "Three Ropes Hanging," tells the fascinating story of his uncompromising war against the Shiite regime and the death sentences against him. Another book, "Abayef – A Bridge Builder Between Faiths" is the stirring saga of his journey through various religions before learning of his Jewish ancestry.

But his favorite topic these days is promoting the socio-historic ties between Iran and Israel.

“This connection goes back 2,700 years, longer than relations between any two countries anywhere,” says Dana, referring to the era of Persian King Cyrus (6th century BCE), who allowed the exiled Jews to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple. “Today all we hear coming out of Iran is Holocaust denial and threats to annihilate Israel with nuclear weapons. But this is a grave distortion. Historically, Iran and Israel are twin sisters – symbols of advanced culture, while rooted in the warm Eastern mentality.”

Dana says it is only a matter of time before the Islamic regime falls. “This evil dragon is opposed by the vast majority of the Iranian population,” he says. “It will fall and be replaced by a moderate, rational Iranian leadership. That’s why it is crucial to cement the foundations for strong bilateral relations between Iran and Israel as soon as possible.”

As for his Jewish origins, Dana says: “I still have many relatives in Mashad, but I have no contact with them. Politically it would be too dangerous for them. I shudder to think that they – like me for so many years – remain unaware of their Jewish roots.”

Dana is philosophical about his years of wandering and adventure. “It is clear that this roundabout route – from Iran to France to Australia and finally to Israel – was God’s way of sending me home, to discover who I really am.”

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About the Author

Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. In 1997 he became the founding editor of Aish.com, and later the founder and director of the Torah study website, JewishPathways.com.

An expert on media bias, Simmons was the founding editor of HonestReporting.com, building it into a leading database of pro-Israel activists, where his work was cited by the New York Times as effecting sweeping changes in Mideast media coverage. He is the author of the definitive treatment of the topic, David & Goliath: The Explosive Inside Story of Media Bias in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2012), which James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal calls "of crucial importance for the future of the Middle East."

In 2012, Simmons produced the critically-acclaimed short film, "Red Line on Iran," outlining a peaceful solution to stopping nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Rabbi Simmons currently serves as the Director of Aish Communications, handling all marketing, public relations and media activities for Aish HaTorah International.

Visitor Comments: 27

(24)
Chuck,
December 15, 2013 11:26 PM

More hopeful and less depressed about Iran

This is simply one of the most extraordinary biographical stories that I have heard in 67 years among the living. His background is really unique, having been actively involved in the 3 Abrahamic faiths. He can be a great source of enlightenment, ecumenism and a bridge from Israel to christianity and to the Muslim world and especially Iran. I am so happy I signed up for Aish. Thanks" muchly" for this!!!

(23)
Nazar Al Haq,
July 8, 2013 6:16 PM

Excellent story,very impressive and worth reading.I hate Ahmadinejad when he said to media that 'I will remove state of Israel from the Glob' very derogatory language used disregarding all norms which a state behave with others, very painfull

(22)
Leonardo Arenas,
July 7, 2013 3:54 AM

"The Wandering Jew"

Indeed Dr. Daniel Dana is the poetical adage called the "Wandering Jew"

(21)
neil,
July 5, 2013 3:51 PM

a modern day moses

This is an incredible story. A man like dana, I believe can change hearts and minds, and redefine relations between israel and iran in time.

(20)
Lliane,
July 5, 2013 1:38 PM

Brilliant, which shows, if there is Jewish blood in you, always go back to being a Jew

(19)
Nushie,
July 5, 2013 3:11 AM

I love this amazing story. Gd bless you and all Israel. What a great movie this would make ! Thank you for sharing this with us.

It is amazing to read about your life of adventure, of seeking truth and never giving up on what you discovered and believed as the " truth" and it was exactly that trait that lead you back to discovering your roots, it all sounds so beautiful. Well done man, you are a great source of inspiration. I am Iranian and I believe in Torah and exactly like how you understood that Torah is the original and genuine source of monotheism, I discovered that as well, and that makes me a Torah believer and a Noahide. May your dreams be realized, the dreams that we all share, Amen, Kudos to Daniel Dana:)

(15)
7littlebeauties,
July 1, 2013 5:02 PM

can't wait to read the book!

What an amazing story. Hashem truly works in mysterious ways. I wish that somehow all his relatives still in Iran could likewise find out about their true roots and become practicing Jews.

(14)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2013 1:40 PM

Amazing story!

I come from a community who'd been through the same prosecutions in mashad a few generations back, and we actually have the events archived. I also lived through the iranian revolution and had to leave my country.I feel specially connected to mr Dana and his life journey. Sounds like a truly amazing man.

(13)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2013 2:31 AM

I can relate myself to his incredible journey

What a journey I wish we had more people like you from Iran.Shalom

(12)
Emilio Alvarez,
June 30, 2013 11:36 PM

Amazing, God hands in actions.

(11)
Rachel Kapen,
June 30, 2013 9:27 PM

A most incredible story.

The story of the former Shiat Moslem from Iran who finally discovers his original Jewish roots is simply incredible beyond words.

Dorit,
July 1, 2013 7:57 AM

Right ;-))

The same feeling that I had ...: Schalom.

(10)
Re-Tras Lospalos,
June 30, 2013 8:49 PM

Hidden Reality.

I'm moved by your life's story. Our own G-d called You back to retrieve the home that's been prepared for Us, The Jews; G-d's CHOSEN PEOPLE. It's time, and already the time to COME HOME...

(9)
Laurence Cohn,
June 30, 2013 7:54 PM

Excellent article!

I very much appreciated this article - It would make an excellent movie!

(8)
marie,
June 30, 2013 7:25 PM

Beautiful

May Hashem continue to bless you and yours :)

(7)
Malka,
June 30, 2013 7:09 PM

A Warrior

His commitment to his beliefs and his willingness to stand up and make sacrifices for what he believes in is the Jewish spirit. I suspected it at the beginning of the story.

(6)
mike,
June 30, 2013 6:44 PM

incredible story

Fact is stranger than fiction..movie material....an incredible story.

(5)
Segismundo,
June 30, 2013 6:30 PM

There must be tousands if not millions, of Iranians with Jewish blood , in Iran, Iran has forgotten theire history,and placed the dominators subjugation to a subbmissive irrationality, that kills the God guiven Freedom of human beeings, Remembering that Ishfahan was named Al-Jewhudia untill the muslim invasion.Even with the Mongols respected the Jewish Respect to the other!, When culture loving Iranians will recognize tis God guivied faculty to REASON and Freedom..perhaps the world will be a safe place!,

(4)
YeHudit,
June 30, 2013 5:43 PM

Welcome home Dr.Daniel Dana!

(3)
Jonathan Cohen,
June 30, 2013 3:10 PM

Amazing

Amazing

(2)
sheila lewis,
June 30, 2013 2:57 PM

fascinating story of Daniel Dana discovering his Jewish roots

This is an incredible testament to the fearless activism and spiritual quest of one man who will bring about change to Iran. We pray for his success and safety in Israel as he continues his important work.

(1)
Yehudith Shraga,
June 30, 2013 8:13 AM

Fascinating story!

Very brave man, an outstanding example of fighting for one's Values and Believes. Thank you for sharing.

Christine,
June 30, 2013 4:58 PM

The hand of God!

Yehudith Shraga,
July 1, 2013 1:40 PM

The 10 Lost Tribes are coming Home

There are many more who are going to discover their Jewish origin and come and join the People of Israel.

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...